geekylorraine

Actual rating: 4.5.

Review originally posted on Geeky Galaxy.

eARC received from the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

First off, I'll start by saying thanks to Andy (A. R. Witham) for reaching out and offering up his book for review! I might not have picked this book up had he not, and then I'd be missing out!

The Legend of Black Jack is at its heart, the story of a young boy with a knack for medicine going on one hell of an adventure. From the first page to the last, this story truly is the legend of Black Jack from exploring archaeological sites as a Chief to the saviour of Keymark. This book really did read like you were reading about a mythical figure.

I'll be honest and say I stopped reading YA for gritter, heavier stories recently. And whilst The Legend of Black Jack stood well as YA, it did offer more for those that could understand the nuances of it, which I appreciated. The coming of age story was also a breath of fresh air against the heavier themes of previous reads.

This book looks like it'd be beautiful to own in hard copy too. It's full of gorgeous illustrations that perfectly encapsulate the scenes from the book; one that particularly struck me is a gorgeous coloured image featuring the silhouette of a demon. You'll know it when you see it.

The Legend of Black Jack is full of characters, full of life, full of wonders and full of twists! At some points, I'd say there was almost too much. Too many characters, too many fantastical elements to marvel at. It's a fine line between an amazing fantasy story and feeling a little much. The Legend of Black Jack is right on that line for me, occasionally tipping over it as we jump from pirate ships to burning towns, to undead armies and chromatic samurai-type knights. It really has something for everyone.

There's also a lot here for the keen-eyed among us. If you're the sort of person who likes spotting little (or big) Easter Eggs and then getting annoyed when something is revealed at the end that you missed but you should've figured out. Then this story is also for you. I'm still annoyed I didn't see one of the big reveals coming. Although that's certainly not the fault of the book. I could say it's because I started this book and put it down for a month before finishing it. But in reality, I was just missing all the signs that were left. I'd love to see if others figured it out before the end!

Once you get past everything though, there's a really great story here; a story of a young boy who loves his Father. And what more could you want than that?

I can see something in this story. There's a solid story and some characters to make this interesting, but I just couldn't get through some of the errors. The character's name switches between Reilly and Riley in the first few chapters, for example. The tenses are inconsistent. The grammar is... spotty. Let an editor go over this book, write up a new version based on that and maybe there's something here. Unfortunately until then, it's a no from me.

Book two down, and it felt like a more complete story this time. The world has been established, the characters introduced and now we get to explore and experience this world along with John.

Thanks to much already being set, there was much more plot, tension and emotion attached to everything. It's well-rounded, the start mostly picking up where book 1 left off and not stopping from there. The big bad was more traditional in the sense there was a big bad, rather than just the world in general, which is how it felt in the last book. And it is very bad. Coming off that ending, I'm slightly shocked, although at the same time, I'm glad it happened... it highlights how visceral and tough this world that Tao Wong has built is. And whilst it's LitRPG, this world certainly is no easy and fun game to play.

The characters, outside of John, are taking much more form in my head. Being that this is told from the first person point of view, it does really feel like we only really know about the characters John cares to pay attention to. It makes you care for the characters John cares about and dislike those he dislikes as everything you read is through the main character's tinted world view. It's one of the reasons I love first pov books. The characters and relationships that can bloom feel so much more when you're in that character's head.

This felt like a step-up from book 1. I was glad that, whilst John's flaws were still at the forefront often enough, we're in his head after all, there was room for more. It really helped me not dislike John quite so much. In fact, I may even be close to liking him now!

And yes, I plan to start book 3 asap!

This book was an interesting one to even rate for me. At points, I wasn't a fan of John, the main character, but I began to realise I don't think you're necessarily supposed to be. His flaws are 100% centre stage and some of them are... harsh and damaging to himself and those around him. It was hard to read, especially near the end, but it was honest too.

Beyond the main character, the world itself was a fun read. Only my second series (2nd author, 4th book) of trying out LitRPG and every person I mentioned it to brought up System Apocalypse and Tao Wang also replied to a post on Twitter I had up asking for sci-fi book releases where I discovered that book 12 is releasing this year! I love long series, so it seemed natural to pick up System Apocalypse next.

It has some differences to the last LitRPG I read, namely a little less focus on the grind and levelling and the constant skill pop-ups, but still more than enough to satisfy and intrigue me on the System that's been built in this world. There's plenty to discover and plot threads to follow. Not just on Earth, but the System is clearly something much bigger with plenty of other worlds, civilisations and aliens involved. I'm excited to see more of it. The world building is straightforward enough to be understood, detailed enough to build a picture and intriguing enough to make me want to read on.

The world is also gritty and dark. Just because life has become somewhat game-like in it's mechanics doesn't mean the trauma is any less, in fact for many, it's more. Death is still permanent, unlike the last LitRPG I read and everything is violent, visceral and out to kill you. It's not a light and happy story, this one, that's for sure.

Oh, I've got to give a shout-out to Ali. Love that little Spirit! As characters go, Ali has got to be my favourite.

A Thrilling First Contact Adventure

Those Left Behind is an exciting start to what I hope is an amazing series. It's got something for every science-fiction fan from first contact to unexplained ancient, yet advanced technology, mysterious precursors, aliens, AIs and more! I enjoyed every word of it.

If you're a Mass Effect or Star Wars fan, I'd say this book is definitely for you.

3.5 Rating

Blood Casino is an interesting take on the “vampires come out of the coffin” trope made famous by True Blood. In this world, vampires are known for having their fingers in all the pies associated with vice and sin. As the name of the book suggests, particularly gambling, where it's possible to exchange blood for chips, sometimes too much.

The book is in first person POV, a personal favourite of mine, and from the point of view of Evangeline, known as Eva or Angel. Eva was a character I had a feeling I wasn't going to like from the beginning. Apparently 18, she's got this strange mix of maturity and immaturity, with the immature portions grating on me. But as a character, she also had a lot of depth and character. By the end, I still wanted to yell at her for some or most of her choices, but the reasoning at the same time I guess is hard to reason with.

The vampires in the book are the same old vampires, with a little bit of added something to make things interesting and fresh. And there's a hint of something more, something other. Because after all, if vampires exist, what else is there? We don't find out yet, maybe we will, and I'm intrigued to know what route this is going down.

The main thing that's keeping me from rating this highly is the plot. It all made sense, mostly, and was engaging enough. It just felt rushed. Like too much was happening in too few words and pages. Some areas could've done with a little more build-up, more tension that, as I read, I could cut with a knife. It was lacking in this.

Saying that, I plan to carry on with this series and hope that, with the world set and the characters introduced, the writing can only get better, but we shall see.

My only other hesitation is that I am completely over love triangles and do I smell one brewing...? I'm not sure yet, but maybe. I really hope it's not ruined by that!

When diving into the world of self/indie published books on Kindle Unlimited, you never quite know what you're going to get.

In my opinion, I landed on something pretty awesome with this one.

One of my favourite series is the early Anita Blake books, when it was more about the supernatural crimes than... well, if you know you know. This book reminds me of that. You've got a badass female character with a magical sword who's also not afraid to use a gun as well as her own magic. An old, French, vampire who is powerful, rich and takes a little bit of a liking to the aforementioned badass woman and a fun and thrilling story of mages, demons and the warnings of power.

Oh, and two 60-something married mages who are absolutely hysterical every time they appear on the page? I had to mention them because they were one of of the main reasons I was laughing out loud.

I'll admit, though, this book won't be for everyone. I don't think Reagan, the main female character, is capable of saying anything serious. Every word out of her mouth was either sarcasm or a joke. And it works for me. It's like reading my own stream of thoughts. The only difference being she's actually saying it out loud whilst I try and be polite, but anyway... that'll annoy people. Her maturity isn't necessarily up there.

And our male lead is... the somewhat stereotypical, predictable vampire. But to be honest, this somewhat cookie cutter urban fantasy novel is exactly the sort I love. So what if it has similarities to other stories out there? News flash: there's no new ideas. And if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Read this if you're in for a humour-filled, sarcasm-laden urban fantasy with plenty of magic, vampires and demons. Don't read this if you're very protective of the genre's “greats” and believe that only one author can write a story such as this. You won't like it, and you'll go on to say that it's not as good as insert one of dozens of authors.

Review originally posted on Geeky Galaxy.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I'll start by saying, if you're looking for a serious read, this is not it. From the very first line, the humour in this is clear, and it doesn't let up throughout. In my opinion, that's marvellous. I read a lot of dark fantasy, a lot of gruesome deaths, gore and destruction. This isn't that. I mean, it is, there's actually plenty of death and destruction, but it's not got that heavy, sincere tone. It's a pretty hilarious read from the start through to the end. It made such a change to read something lighter, something that had me smiling. For that alone, it's worth it. It's also worth mentioning, this book is still definitely adult, or at least, it's not a kid's book. There's swearing, violence, death, chaos and... a gnome that loves erotica?

Game of Gnomes: The Necrognomicon (Once you figure out how to say it, it's actually pretty easy) is a short and quick read too. I devoured it in less than 2 hours, so it's also a book that's easy to pick up, read and enjoy without too much thought about the time spent because you're spending that time smirking and enjoying yourself. So why not?

One aspect that caught my attention, and particularly made me smile, is the “easter eggs” of sort. The fantasy or gnome versions of other popular items from the real world. One of the first being “The Rolling Gnomes” magazine. And shortly after that, there's discussion of a certain bear that would break in and steal the main character's honey.

Oh, and the character I'm referring to? His name is Gassy Bedchambers, and then we're quickly introduced to Borty Beetle-Bowel. Which brings me back to my original point. None of this book is serious. Please don't take it that way. If you do, you won't enjoy it. Take it for the humourous, parody it is, because it's not just in the naming. Nothing about this book takes itself too seriously. Even the style it's written in, with a narrator that is a character within itself; a character that isn't afraid to make a joke and self-deprecate.

Like I say at the start, it's not my usual sort of book. And sometimes the humour felt a little too much. The section on why all the gnomes are named like they are for instance, was more eye-rolling than anything else. There were a few other points that felt a little OTT to me, but I still enjoyed the book as a whole and didn't let the few odd moments interrupt an otherwise fun read.

I fear repeating myself, but it is again, so hilariously ridiculous I don't even know where to begin. The story itself is almost like a chaotic D&D game where the DM is doing their best to keep the party on track, but the party is determined to blow something up or start a fight. It was also like the sort of D&D game where the DM is pretty chill, so they make sure everything works out for the party, no matter what completely insane thing might have to happen to make it work. It's not necessarily a bad thing, if you remember the golden rule for this book: don't take anything too seriously.

And finally, we wend with a prologue, which lines thing up nicely for the reader to wonder what's happening next in this strange and wonderful world.

I'd heard great things about this author and this series, so maybe I expected too much.

For me, the book focused too much on the courtesan, or rather, the unusual elements of the world that made it what it was. 25% in and I was sick of reading about how much the main character's virginity was worth vs. others and the bids that had been made for her. “Deflowering” being the name of the ceremony where they lose their virginity.

As part-assassin/spy, part-courtesans, I envisioned the characters would be willing to play both parts. Not that, when requested, they couldn't then leave the courtesan life. This isn't shining a light on sex work. If they're not willing, it's trafficking. And the unwillingness on top of the selling virginity thing pushed me over the edge with this book.

And the “fantasy”, at least in this book, is sorely lacking. Besides the main character being half-elven, not a lot of fantasy happens here. It's more like historical fiction. I'm not sure if more happens in later books, but for now, nothing is really screaming fantasy for me.

It's a shame, because there are positives. The Asian-inspired world-building was a delight to read about, tea shops and mahjong halls being some of the highlights for me that you wouldn't normally see in a western-based fantasy story.

The action scenes were also a delight to read, well-paced and reminiscent of the impressive scenes in Martial Arts films.

And there's, of course, plenty of rep, which is always refreshing. Two of the main characters are LGBTQIA+ and the whole book and characters are inspired by Asian worlds.

Full review to come but daaaamn, I loved this book.

AD - PR Copy

Review originally posted on Geeky Galaxy.

I've started writing my reviews as I read, instead of how I used to do it, which was after I'd finished everything. I think it gives a slightly different perspective on things. So this review is in chronological order of reading the book...

There are also some mild spoilers below, but there's no major plot points and I've kept them to a minimum!

At first, Shards of Earth is very sci-fi-esque in that the beginning is heavy as you begin to learn this world, it's various alien species, it's political arrangements, hell, even physics. So for the first few days, I was picking this book up, reading a few pages and putting it down because I was struggling to dedicate the brain power to it to make sense of everything.

About 10% in and we're Introduced to Solace and Idris. Solace is a woman from a powerful female-only warrior society who desperately want an “intermediary” to ensure that not only are they the strongest, they have the ability to enter and navigate “unspace”. “Unspace” isn't typically easily navigated as most humans don't do well in it when awake, most sleep during it to avoid possible madness, comas etc. Intermediaries are specifically genetically engineered to be able to handle unspace, and there's a hint of much more.

Idris is one of these Intermediaries that Solace crossed paths with years ago during the defence of a planet from the “Architects”. Idris was a key weapon in the defence, and the Architects vanished for 40 years. Therefore, Idris was no longer a weapon and now just a navigator on a salvage ship.

Solace had been in cryo (stasis?) for a while, but has now been woken and tasked with getting an Intermediary for her warrior... family? She's looking for Idris...

Which is why I'm glad I stuck with this. I could see the beginnings of a great story with amazing characters. This is the first space opera I've read in a while that's gone really whacky with xeno-biology, where the descriptions sound so strange I'm struggling to even form an image of them. And I love that. They're not all bipedal with just an extra couple of fins or feathers or whatever else. The aliens are really alien. And there's a range of how they govern. There's hiveminds, hegemonies and every other sort of political/leading class you could think of. Makes a change and reminds me of Stellaris.

I don't want to post serious spoilers... but don't get too attached to the characters because you never know what could happen quite unexpectedly. One thing I did discover from this, however, is that Tchaikovsky is a master at the action sequences. Reading Solace fight in her suped-up armour against a symbiotic alien who repairs damage almost instantly was something else. It had great cadence and rhythm, with lots of tension and action, as well as lulls where you think you can catch your breath for a second before all hells breaks loose all over again.

Much like any heavy space opera, Shards of Earth takes a little bit to cement itself in your brain. A lot of aliens, a large cast of characters, ship names and more. Once it's there though, what a ride. Every page of this book was such a joy to read, from the space battles, to the urgent yet deliberate piercing of metaphysical minds. The book from start to finish was a delightful ride with plenty of world-spanning tension but also small personal relationships that explores the importance of friendship and crew.

And, of course, The Architects. They are such an amazing and unknowable antagonist, right up until the very end. They've got an incredible and terrifying power and no apparent reason as to why, other than to make art, but it all begins to make sense and leads neatly into an outcry for the next book. And I'm excited for more.

The magic in this story is quite unlike anything else I'd read. Alyce, our main character and “villain” is a Dark Grace, unlike everyone else around her. Whilst Grace's can bestow beauty, wit and other benefits nobles enjoy with a few drops of golden blood, Alyce is the opposite. A drop of her green blood can cause warts, spoil cream and so much more. The land of Briar relies on the beautifying, the hair or eye colour change, the smoothing of wrinkles from the Graces whilst largely shunning Alyce. Of course, that doesn't stop them using her particular brand of magic on rivals when desired. Within the first few pages, I began to appreciate Alyce as a character and enjoy seeing things from a more morally grey point of view. The author does a great job of showing how the supposedly beautiful golden Graces are not as beautiful on the inside and how Alyce has plenty of hidden depth.

Part One was great. It built up the world of humans, Graces, Fae, Vila and a hint at a whole other host of fantastical species in a world that I could picture clearly with the wonderful descriptions. It also, of course, introduces our characters. As well as Alyce, the other characters worth mentioning are Aurora, Rose, Kal and Endlewild.

Aurora is the Princess, cursed to die if she doesn't have true love's kiss by her 21st birthday. If her name wasn't enough to give you a hint at the retelling, the curse should be reasonably familiar! Aurora's not your average Princess with the perfect manners, so it was fun to begin to learn her character and have her standout for more than just being a cursed princess.

Rose is an antagonist, a Grace that lives with Alyce in a house full of their Grace's. As Alyce is “dark”, they all tend to treat her differently, but Rose is particularly cruel with it. Come the end of Part One though, I began to see the flaws to her character that stemmed a lot from the stress and pressure of a) being a Grace and b) the fact that Grace powers have a limit and fade before long. It's a lot of weight to have on your shoulders, losing your power along with your way of making a tidy living.

Kal is... I'm not really sure. A mentor archetype but there's something more to him. I'm writing this at the end of Part One, so I'm not sure what yet, but there's definitely something there and he's powerful, so there'll be more to come from that, I'm sure.

Endlewild, finally, is the ambassador of the Fae to Briar. And he's not necessarily happy about it or a nice guy in general. Endlewild is responsible for torturing Alyce as a child and is another character I think we'll hear more about as the book progresses.

some time later

Part Two has struck and... wow. Where Part One was slowly drawing us in, showing us the depth of the world, exploring the characters, letting us begin to root for them. Part Two was unleashing all of that in angst, drama, love, action and then... the last few chapters. I don't want to spoil things too much but what I posted on Instagram shortly after probably sums it up. I closed the book and stared at the words “There was a villain.” for a good few minutes. There was a villain, indeed, and my brain can't quite handle that right now. The main issue with reading books pre-release of right at release is then the wait for the next book. Has the author even finished writing it yet? Possibly not. And yet, I need it. Now. Please.

I also need the art. The things illustrators could do with the use of colour in this book is going to be amazing, I'm telling you, and I really hope that happens.

Actual Rating: 4.5

Review originally posted on Geeky Galaxy

This Golden Flame is a brilliant read about magic, friendship and most of all, freedom. Set in an Ancient Greek inspired world where statue-like automatons dot the towns and cities, forever frozen when the magical fuel that powered them was locked away. The premise from the start had me intrigued, from the setting to the automatons and Alix, the automaton who was so much more.

Alix, without doubt, was my favourite character and arguably the most complex. He's an automaton, and according to everything known about them, shouldn't be able to speak, let alone think and feel. And yet he can, and so much more, and it makes him real and vulnerable. There's such a depth to Alix's character, it practically sang off the page in every chapter from his point of view. I enjoyed reading every page of it.

“It's all you. Your light is stunning. It's brave and beautiful. So just be you, because that's enough. It's always been enough.”

Throughout, Alix struggle with who or what he is, what his purpose is, and if anything, that is what makes him most human of all.

“You have a spark that refuses to dim.”

He's a character that comes alive in the way he's expertly crafted and I could picture him so vividly in my head, he may as well have been stood in the room before me.

Karis, the character you'd probably call the main, if not very key, didn't shine quite as brightly for me. She was a strong character in herself with a clear motivation and meaning behind every action she took, even when it was the wrong one. Karis was also asexual and aromantic, and I'll admit it's the first book, especially fantasy, I've ever read with an aro ace main character and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It was refreshing to see a character who's focus wasn't constantly on the boy. And that's not the only rep in this book! There's also 2 gay characters and a character that prefers they/them, and it didn't seem forced or like an after-thought. It seemed natural to the story and worked really well.

As for the plot with the automatons, the golden flame, pirates, bandits, rebellions; it had it all and I loved the story that was weaved amongst these characters. A personal favourite point is the fact that Alix heard the rune magic as music, and, whilst he didn't need to, he'd hum a tune to go along with it. It was such a brilliant way to frame it and made for some luscious reading.

As soon as I touch it, I hear the rune in the seal, the plucked strings of a harp, as if it's the beginning of a well-known melody that I have to finish.

Overall, this book ticked a lot of boxes and was quick and easy to read, with characters I was routing for and a world I was itching to explore. If you're debating whether to pick this up, it's a resounding yes from me.

A Court of Thorns and Roses was a book I read because I couldn't escape it. Everywhere you turn in the book community, you see Maas, which is amazing for her, and I respect that, so I thought I'd pick up her most talked about series. Going into it knowing everything wasn't ideal.
Tamlin was fun to read about, but knowing that “the first love interest is never the final” spoke about every time Maas is mentioned kinda ruined the whole plot of this book for me. Having now finished the first book, I can see what's coming in future entries without even trying. At least I now know some of the quotes and names I see around and they make more sense to me.

Feyre, like every human in these Fae based stories, somehow manages to attract the attention of... everyone? What it is it about human women and ancient Fae Lords or Princes (or whatever the term whatever Fae book I'm reading at any given time decides to use). Clearly humans are something special.... I don't know. It felt very much like the cliche, “Feyre isn't like other girls.” without explicitly saying it.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy my time spent reading this book. I just feel like much of it was wasted on me due to the many, many spoilers and my belated reading of this. A few years back, I think I would've loved this. Honestly, I was worried about selling anything ACOTAR related I ever got in book boxes, but at least now I won't regret that too much! I'm almost disappointed I can't join the obsession, but there's also a silver lining on not spending the money on it! So, I get the enjoyment people get from these books, but I think I was a little too late to the party for it.

Review originally posted on Geeky Galaxy.

I finished The Twisted Tree in 2 hours. 9:30pm to 11:30pm and still got to sleep at a regular hour! The Twisted Tree is short, or at least shorter than the normal book I read, at 180 pages. It's 180 pages of exploring Racehl Burge's weaving of Norse Mythology with a sprinkling of horror, and it's a marvelous read. There were moments where the tension was palpable; the terror felt by the characters leaked off the page and infiltrated the dark room around me. I looked up and imagined a ghostly, dead face staring back at me. One thing is for sure, Rachel knew how to draw the reader in and make them experience the things that may be lurking in the dark.

The Inspiration from Norse Myth

Everything about this book is very Nordic. From the setting, to the character's names and the use of Norse Mythology throughout. Your familiarity with Norse Myth would lead you to either figuring things out reasonably quickly, from the one-eyed main character to the tree, or if you're not familiar at all, Rachel will slowly teach you some basics as you're drawn into the mystery surrounding the tree and the darkness that seems to follow Martha around.

Without spoiling it, I did enjoy this take on some classic Norse myth such as Odin hanging from Yggdrasil and the Norns and how they influence the lives of everyone, but specifically the characters in the story.

This is the first fantasy book I've read inspired by Norse myth. Before now, I've been familiar with it, just out of an interest in general for various mythologies and I've played games that are loosely based around the myths, from Skyrim to Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. The Twisted Tree has made me want to seek out more, and I know the sequel, The Crooked Mask, was out last week and I've also got The Witch's Heart on my radar for release later in the year.

Martha, Stig and Mormor

Martha, Stig and Mormor are the characters most heavily featuring in the book and they all had their own unique character and voices. Stig and Mormor especially stood out as characters; with Stig having a lot of hidden history and Mormor being dead but still being very key to everything. Martha is the one character, unfortunately, that felt just a little flatter than the rest. I feel like there was greater opportunity for growth with Martha; more opportunity to explore her beyond being blind in one eye and the ability that seemed to have been granted from it. I hope there's more to come from her as a character in the next book.

The Crooked Mask

The Crooked Mask is book 2! If you're interested in joining me for a readalong with The Tandem Collective on Instagram, check out my IG page @geekylorraine and keep an eye on my feed and stories as I share my thoughts and feelings reading the next book featuring Martha and her fascinating abilities!

The Unadjusteds is an exciting, dystopian YA focused around the rewards and risks of genetic modification. How it can be used for good, for bad and just... nothing. This book has a nanite pill for tanned skin and whitened teeth, and whilst I'd like to say it's not realistic, it's exactly realistic. I can totally see something that basic happening.

The Stereotypical Main Character

This is another book where the main character, Silver, didn't really endear herself. It's the third in a row. I'm beginning to think it's a me problem! First of all, she's got main character syndrome with the name, the best friend who just happened to be planning a rebellion and parents that just happen to be the most intelligent people ever who invented the nanite pills that bring about these genetic changes. But, her parents are out of the picture, of course. Oh, and she's not like anyone else. Classic main character.

Insert YA Dystopia Trope Here

The plot itself was great, although it felt a little rushed to me. Running for their lives, training to be awesome, and super awesome, with very little in between apart from Silver saying she didn't want to be awesome, repeatedly. It's not overly... new, but then it's said that every story is the same as one that came before it. In this instance, you can feel it. The rebel group of a ton of teenagers who managed to bring about a rebellion out of nowhere, the special abilities, the main character with unique unknown abilities, dystopia setting, love triangle. The love triangle is a YA Dystopia staple! I could keep listing

Family and Friendship Above All

The concept and themes are my favourite part of this. The concept of taking a pill to become something else, something more, but the massive risk of your body rejecting it that comes with it and the theme of loss due to this throughout.

This book is all about family. Each time the characters are spurred into action, it's for family. From fighting for family, to betrayal to save family, this book has it all. All in the name of family.

To Summarise

Overall, this book had some unique and fun ideas that I loved reading about and would love to see explored further, but there was just one too many trope for me. I love some of these tropes when done well, but the love triangle was not and rebellions which spring up with little form of planning are just not for me.

Recon started with, well, one hell of a drama and didn't really slow down from there. We're introduced to a cast of characters in the beginning. The one we follow throughout the majority of Recon is Brandt, a woman with a determination to rise up the chain of command and prove herself. For the first 10 chapters or so, I wasn't a fan of Brandt. When I'm not a fan of the point of view character, it can lead to a DNF, but I was enjoying the story and stuck with it and I'm glad I did. Brandt improved dramatically as the story continued and the author seemed to really pull the character together. As a character, I still think there could've been improvements to Brandt, but she's a decent lead for a thrilling story.

The story and plot itself are where Recon truly thrives. From the dramatic blowing up of one of the team at the beginning to an epilogue of monumental proportions, this book has something for every sort of sci-fi fan. Battle armour? Check. Cyborgs? Check. Space battles. Check. Untested tech? Check Redacted? Check. Sorry, had to redact that last one as a major spoiler alert but damn do I want the next book based from it.

Plenty of Drama But...
The question is, do I really? The main issue for me as someone who loves character-driven books is that the characters are flat, particularly the main character, Brandt, being a woman. You wouldn't know it if it wasn't the use of “she” and “her” in sentences. There's little background to any of them and Brandt's the stereotypical strong, sarcastic women authors think readers want. If she had a little more dimension, then maybe. But no, if we could barely judge the fact Brandt's a woman then how much of a strong women is she?

Also, I get this is soft sci-fi, but some of the science exists now and is... wrong. Radio waves, for example, seem to take a lot longer in the book's world than the real world. And let's think about how long we've known about radio waves.

This book does have a story that's bumping it up the rating, but with a lack of detailed characters and some very interesting science, I can't say for sure the series is for me. But, if you're here for very plot-driven military sci-fi with lots of military ranks, politics, battles in huge armoured suits (I'm imagining when Iron Man fights the Hulk) and quite the dramatic cliffhanger, Recon may be for you.

If you're the sort who likes to feel connected to the characters and enjoys reading a little bit of real science interspersed with the fiction, this may not be the book for you. I'll leave it up to you to decide.

Book of the Year?
Well, whilst a lot about 2020 might suck, something that hasn't is the books I've read. As I was rating this 5 stars on goodreads (that'll give you a hint of the review to come!) I took a look at my other books read in 2020. Only one book DNF'd, one rated 3 stars and the rest 4 and above. And then to get granted this earc at 12pm on the 7th September and have it finished by 3pm the same day? Yeah, this book was good. This book was amazing. This book is in contention for my book of the year and honestly, it's got stiff competition so I'm not sure how I'm going to decide or what else may join it in the next 3 (that's alarming) months.

From the very first page (yep, I'm talking the title page), I had a feeling I'd love this book. Turn the page (or tap the screen, as the case may be) and I was then greeted by a map. I'm used to ARCs having blank pages where the map should be along with something like ‘map to come'. Not this time, and this map in particular was gorgeous. Definitely the best I'd seen in a book this year (and I'm a sucker for books with maps, just look at the background for all my IG posts.)

The First Book to Make Me Hungry
My first suggestion to you, if you're yet to read this book, is don't start it when you're hungry. I started it at 12 and hadn't had lunch. This was a mistake as I read about the glorious Italian food and wished desperately to be sharing in the food they were making as they casually discussed devils. Well, mostly casually. Also, the pre-order incentive involving pasta makes a whole lot of sense. Oh, and I've never tried cannoli and now I seriously need to. Sorry, I'm writing this review 4 hours after starting it and I still haven't eaten. My hunger is spilling out.

Brilliant Descriptions of the Everyday
Anyway, the food discussion was supposed to be a segue into discussing the writing and the way Kerri Maniscalco describes things is such a delight to read. Some descriptions are almost lyrical and the first paragraph of the prologue gave this away immediately and it continued, where relevant, throughout. A few chapters later, one very simple description stuck out to me, simply because I loved the way it was worded:

“In moments, condensation bloomed like morning dew across the glass.”

Kerri is describing a drink being poured into a glass, not exactly exciting, right? And yet such short descriptions of normal, everyday things is what drew me into this book, the world she's created and I loved every moment of it. Each time a small description like that happened, I marvelled in the enjoyment of something so simple and yet brilliant.

Characters to Love
But of course, beyond the description is the characters in this world. The three characters that stuck out most were our main point of view character, Emilia; a prince of hell, Wrath and then, perhaps unexpectedly, Emilia's grandmother, referred to as Nonna, as this story is inherently Italian.

From Good to...
“I could either be a victim or a victor.”

Emilia experiences a character arc that was glorious to read. She's a twin with her sister Vittoria and there was the classic archetype of one twin being good and the other being, I won't say evil, but rebellious. Emilia was the more well-behaved of the two, as we're introduced to Vittoria not being home in time and other things like that as the story begins. However, without saying too much, Emilia doesn't stay the pure and good one for very long and reading her path from being so good and innocent to where she ended up was one of the many highlights of this book.

A Wicked-Prince of Hell
Wrath is a Demon Prince of Hell, as his name may suggest, the princes are centred around the seven deadly sins, and we meet most of the others during the story as well, although Wrath features more centrally. I'll admit, I'm a sucker for a bad-boy with some hidden depth in fantasy books. I love the complexity, and Wrath is no exception to this.

There's definitely more to him than we truly get to meet in this book. He's clearly powerful, which I don't think we get to experience enough of, and there's something else about him that, well, I don't want to say too much, but I'm intrigued to read more of him and I'm slightly frustrated we've got to wait a while before book 2! It's the eternal problem with ARCs, the pleasure of reading early, but then the painfully long wait for the next book!

A Grandmother with Secrets
Emilia and Vittoria's grandmother is referred to as Nonna throughout. I don't recall if she was ever named beyond that, but she was a fantastic character. I enjoyed each scene with her in it. She is a fierce matriarch for the family and is hiding much throughout. Some secrets are ultimately spilled, but I don't think everything is out. She's a character with more to come and I'm looking forward to what other surprises her character will bring.

Read This Book
The summary of my review is pretty simple: Read the book! I thoroughly enjoyed every page. From the fascinating characters, to the magical story and the gorgeous writing. I don't see a reason to not read the book. Witches, Witch Hunters, Magic, Demons, Italian cooking. What more could you possibly want?

Actual rating 3.5.

Heir of Arcadia was a super fun sci-fi with drama, angst and plenty of romance.

To begin with, I wasn't sure if the characters were going to be cliché and have me rolling my eyes at their predictability, and whilst there was a few occurrences of almost-eyerolls, I enjoyed following their story overall. The two main characters were Julian and Quinn. Julian could've been your average rich-boy who inherited his Father's company, but had a little more depth than that, shown through his love for friends, family and even the way he treated his assistant. Quinn is titled “Special Agent”, but not necessarily in the field-work type way of looking at things. She's skilled with tech, but I felt like her personality wasn't as well built around herself. A lot of what she did was framed around Julian, either thinking about him or what his reaction might've been. I'd liked to have read more about her thoughts and feelings outside of that. Don't get me wrong, the relationship was entertaining and I had fun reading the interactions between the two of the, but I just felt like there wasn't enough space for Quinn to grow as a character outside of Julian's influence. Maybe that'll come with a future book?

And based on the way this book ended with not one but two cliffhangers, there's definitely a book two coming, and I'll admit to being intrigued. The plot kept me reading, though a few things were glaringly obvious and other things were a little bit difficult to believe were happening, even with the standard suspension of belief you need to be able to have fun reading sci-fi.

The connection between this novel and gaming is probably what I enjoyed most. I knew there was a link, I just didn't expect it to be what it was, and it was completely different to anything else I'd read. I don't want to go into too much detail for the sake of not spoiling anything major, but if you're a gamer, you'll recognise lots of elements of the book, especially in later action scenes that I particularly enjoyed.

Overall, this kept me entertained for a few hours, and I enjoyed following the characters' stories, I just wish there were a little but more depth to most of them.

Chilling Effect is an own voices space opera featuring a Cuban-descended Captain called (mostly) Eva Innocente and her crew as they get into more and more trouble as the book goes on!

Eva herself is a great main character, who I enjoyed reading about during every single sentence of the book. The character had a strong voice and really stood out. You always knew who was talking just because her personality really shone through in the dialogue. Eva is badass, head-strong and sometimes a little bit blinkered, but cares deeply for her crew and her ship and is willing to do just about anything for them. Also known as, my favourite sort of character. A character who is badass, has her flaws, but also cares deeply for those she trusts, and doesn't stand for injustices against them.

Vakar is a close second-favourite. Vakar is a species known as Quennian, who rely on scent much as humans may rely on tone of voice, and it's such an interesting added element as a way to describe his emotions. In the beginning, the scents are explained but come the end, even the reader knows which scents equal which emotion. Honestly, there's one scent in particular that I think was obvious from the beginning, and I was just waiting for Eva to catch up!

As well as that, you've got Min, Pink and Leroy in the crew, and then a cast of family members of both Eva and Vakar on the sidelines. Overall, Eva and Vakar have the most detailed backstories and character building, which works for the story, but I hope we get to learn a little more about the other characters in the future.

From a plot point of view, Chilling Effect gets going and doesn't really slow down from there. We're introduced into the story in the middle of a hunt for psychic cats, yep, the book cover mostly makes sense. I'm not a cat person, but cats that can hypnotise people sound a lot more interesting than your average cat.

Moving on from the cats, I really enjoyed reading the comings and goings of La Sirena Negra (translated as The Black Mermaid in the book, although I was definitely calling it The Black Siren, and did wonder if The Black Mermaid was a bad translation via the good ol' translation technology that's now famous or infamous in sci-fi books and films!). The action was fast-paced and thrilling to read. I couldn't turn the pages fast.

The world of Chilling Effect, outside of the ship, was well-developed with many facets. From The Fridge (Chilling, fridge, get it?) , BOFA and some interesting agencies, like the Wraiths, a branch of Quennian military, I think. There's also a ton of alien species. One of the more interesting ones and perhaps strange one's, to human standard, is governed by an emperor known as Glorious Apotheosis. I'm sure you can tell from the name, the guy has issues, and it's a pretty hilarious plot point throughout. Everything included made the world feel alive and real.

It was such a fun book to read, from the fascinating alien species to the very human characters. I'm so glad I took the time, as reading it cheered me up.

The next book, Prime Deceptions, is out September and I'm super excited. The title for book 3 has also not long been announced as Fault Tolerance. I need them in my life.

Comparisons to Mass Effect
As a self-confessed Mass Effect fanatic, I wanted to list a few of the ways I think Chilling Effect was very Mass Effect-esque. Mostly because the reasons they compare is the reason I love them! This next section is full of spoilers, so if you haven't read the book (or played the games) and don't want to be spoiled, stop here.

- Is it too obvious to say the title? No? Well, that's self-explanatory, moving on.
- The main character, Eva, is sarcastic, snarky and totally badass. Much like a certain Fem!Shep I tend to play. It's the right level of snark without turning into full bitch. Like a Shepard the skews renegade, but not fully.
- The gate technology is as much a mystery in CE as ME, whilst we eventually learn a little more in ME. The basis is that it's some ancient alien technology that works, but most of the other ancient stuff doesn't work. In ME, it's initially placed on the Protheans. In CE, it's the Proarkhe. They're similarly mysterious, with only those seriously dedicated to studying ancient alien civilisations having much of any knowledge on them, besides wild conspiracy theorists.
- The love interest! In ME, you, of course, get to pick. If you're like me, you went Garrus, because obviously. Garrus is famous for his time spent calibrating the weaponry of the Normandy. You could say he has some engineering knowledge but he's actually a super badass. In CE, Eva begins to fall for Vakar, the engineer of La Sirena Negra but also a super badass. Not only that, but Vakar is not human and that can cause some problems. And things get verrrry interesting.
- Found family crew. Found family spaceship crews might be my favourite thing, and CE and ME have it down.
- The fish in the captain's cabin that the captain seems to care about for some reason I can't quite comprehend. (As Shepard, my fish died every damn time).

In case I'm not clear, I'm basically just saying, if you're a fan of Mass Effect, then read this book. It's so much fun, and there's plenty of things to love about it!

Actual rating: 4.5

A super interesting alternate history fantasy sci-fi. There was a lot of elements in such a short novella, but all of them intriguing and enjoyable. I'm disappointed in how short it was, if anything! The world-building is magnificent and I want to read more about the character of Creeper and Ann-Marie.

Full review to come.

Review originally posted on Geeky Galaxy

The World
Aurora Burning is book 2 in the Aurora Cycle series, so the world is established by now, and Amie and Jay are well aware of this, and don't spare much time for setting the scene, as we don't overly need it. The setting as a whole is largely familiar from the first book. There are new, smaller scale settings, of course, that are thought out and well put together. Again, I'm still really interested in the world at large, fascinated by the politics of things. Honestly, I just need a politics in space book. This world would totally work for that, but I don't think it's quite Jay and Amie's speed!

The Plot
There's a “Stuff You Should Know” section at the very start of Aurora Burning that summarises characters and events of Aurora Rising – I petition for every book that's a sequel to have this because it was so helpful! Also, it's told from the point of view of Magellan, which is pretty awesome.

There's not a moment where this book lets you catch your breath. Not. A. Moment. I'm undecided at this point whether that's a good thing. It's... certainly something. It's got breakneck pace throughout, from the very moment the book begins, there is shooting and excitement. The “downtime” isn't downtime. It's just five minutes of scheming before everything hits the fan. Again.

The ending! The ending! The ending! This book just tore my heart out without a single moment of hesitation. I'd seen other reviews that had mentioned the ending but didn't think too much of it. Heed those of us that say the ending will torture you, and quite possibly anger you, that Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman dared to end a book like that. I've never known a book to end quite like that. TV shows, perhaps. I've never read a book that did it. And I never want to again, not without having the next book lined up and waiting for me. I don't know how to wait for book 3 as I write this. I'm kind-of just sat like ??? looking around the room for the answers. Hint: the room didn't have the answers.

The Characters
Aurora
Aurora is still our main character, surprise surprise! She's affectionately known as Auri throughout most of the book, seeing as the characters are much more familiar with each other than they were when Aurora Rising began. The found family element is much more pronounced due to the fact they've already been through so much together before Aurora Burning even began. Aurora herself goes through a lot in this book, from trying to come to grasps with her recently discovered powers and dealing with the less world-saving things, like relationships with those around her. Reading about her was sweet, and empowering, as she went from an innocent girl, unable to use her power without fear of hurting others, to having confidence in who she was and what she could do.

Kal
Kal was, and remains to be, my favourite character. And let me tell you, he definitely goes through it in this book. He plays a much bigger role in Aurora Burning than he did in Rising. (I mean, his face is on the cover, after all. And isn't it a pretty face and a pretty cover?) My heart wasn't ready for quite the amount Kal goes through in this, and honestly? I love him even more after everything.

Fin
Fin has risen up the ranks to be my second-favourite character. Honestly, I just have a thing for the snark and the occasional heroics, overcoming anything that's put before him. The jokes definitely help though. Speaking of jokes, the comedic aspect is rife throughout this whole book. It's a key element for more than one character, and they all handle it in different ways. Fin goes for the nicknames and the jokes. And it's fun, and brought a smile to my face each time.

Scarlett
Again, Scarlett provides some more comedic relief in the forms of heavy sarcasm and the sporadic innuendo. In fact, her sarcasm is also as perfect as her Syldrathi. I feel like Scarlett was in Aurora Burning a lot, but her part wasn't as meaningful as I expected. Her made side-comments about exes that may have aided her in some way, translates for the others when they didn't bother to learn the languages they probably should've learned, but none of it felt terribly important. I hope there's more for Scarlett because who and what she is can provide more to the world of the Aurora Cycle.

Tyler
Tyler is the Alpha, the squad leader, who honestly had a bit of a stick up his ass in the first book. He's a lot better in this book, more laid back with a better personality than “I'm the leader, listen to how amazing I am and my ideas are fantastic and never wrong.” Ok, so he still thinks his ideas are amazing, but otherwise, he's mellowed a lot in Aurora Burning, and the book is better off for it.

Zila
Zila was the quiet, probably somewhat strange science officer in Aurora Rising. She's still very much that, but she comes out of her shell more, and we learn more about her past. And it's not a happy one, but it also explains why she is who she is. I'm glad we got to see more of her. I just hope that continues into the next book. That particular story isn't over, I'm sure of it.

I 100% recommend pre-ordering Aurora Burning if you haven't already! A) Have you seen the cover? Kal, the orange colours, I love it. At this point, I'm not sure where I've pre-ordered it from or what edition is actually going to arrive for me. I just know when it does, I'm going to ogle the cover for a while because look at it.

The World
The world is where Viper by Bex Hogan really excels. It's so effortlessly weaved into the story. I felt like I understood the various islands, the touch of magic and the place The Viper holds in the world without really looking for the information. The information is hidden amongst the action and drama, so nothing ever felt like an info-dump. And the detail itself is super interesting and not like anything I'd read before. Although, I might not be a good judge of anything nautical. I've tended to avoid it, but not I'm not sure why!

I loved the way the different islands had different specialities because of their climates and the way the ships were such a big part of the story, but didn't overshadow or interfere with the beauty of the rest of the world. And there's so much more to learn of this world! I'm glad I waited to read this, purely so there's not that much of a wait for the next book.

The Plot
Some books, I always struggle to discuss the plot without spoilers. Maybe I'm trying to write this review too soon after finishing Viper by Bex Hogan, when my mind is still reeling from the action and drama. Maybe some books defy explanation without a hint at the plot. Let's try this. Let me indulge you with the first line of this book...

“I don't need to dissect the bird to know how it died.”

And the final line...

“Let the wind bring what it will. I'm ready for anything.”

Between these two is a lot of amazingness. There are ups and downs. Hope, and hope being crushed, sometimes quite literally. There's a rollercoaster here and whilst I hated pieces of it, I also thoroughly enjoyed every second of it too. Figure that one out.

The Characters
Marianne
Marianne is our protagonist, and as the story is told in the first person, it was important that she be capable of holding the story on her own back. And that she did. Her character arc throughout the tribulations was fun to read, if a tad predictable. She had a sense of humour and a hint of sarcasm which I enjoyed. Basically, give a character some sarcasm and I'll probably support them!

Bronn
Ah, Bronn. Now this one had a story that I somehow found more heartbreaking than Marianne, and that only made me love him more. His story is another thing I don't know how to discuss without spoilers, but he's an important part of the story and... I've deleted what I was going to say next. Spoilers!

Grace
Oh, Grace. Grace is possibly Marianne's only friend and protector, even if Marianne doesn't immediately see it. I'm interested to hopefully see more of Grace's family in the future. There's definitely something more to hear about them, and I hope the opportunity arises when we do!

Adler
AKA The Viper, the Captain of The Maiden, the most feared ship on the sea. It's feared for a good reason. Adler is vile, in the simplest meaning of the word. Nothing he says, nothing he does, shows even a hint of kindness or remorse. He's full of hatred, and I'm not sure his backstory explains it fully. His desire is power, that much is clear, but as a villain, I wish there was a tad more depth. I'm not sure there's enough to justify the pure evil. Maybe this is getting deep for a YA Fantasy, but is anyone born pure evil, or should there be something in their backstory that leads them down that road? Unless I missed it, this is the one thing I feel is really missing from this book.

Review originally posted on Geeky Galaxy

You didn't think I was going to get my hands on an urban fantasy and not review it did you? I started Venators: Magic Unleashed only a few days before this post is up, because I work best under pressure, apparently. Or, that's what I keep telling myself. From the description, I went in with high expectations. Read the summary above, “fae, vampires, werewolves, elves and succubi”. What more could I want?

The Plot

The introduction was short and action-filled, with only a few chapters before we dive right into the action. The action doesn't really slow from there, and I mean all the way up until the end! Because of that, I felt like the book wasn't really a full book. It's not a standalone story, so much relies on the next book that it feels like book one and book two may have been randomly cut down the middle. The end didn't feel anything like an end and was a bit too abrupt for my liking. Of course, it's making me want to read the next one, which serves its purpose, but I wish there'd been more of an end, rather than a sudden stop.

The Characters

After about 20%, I couldn't help but feel the characters were a little cliché. You've got Grey, the “weird kid” with long, black hair, always wearing a trench coat. Using his long hair to hide from the world. And then Rune. The beautiful girl, mostly achieving straight As, great at sport, and somehow still friends with the weird kid, even though everything says they shouldn't be. It's a trope I've seen a lot, and it's a little bit tiring. Despite that, I did enjoy the relationship Rune and Grey had. And as the book progressed, they grew into their own characters more, stepping a little away from their clichés. Come the end, they'd grown into two defining characters and I'm intrigued to know where the path takes them next.

As well as Rune and Grey, we've got Beltran, Verida and Tate, all very different characters. Again, Tate could fall into the “old warrior mentor” category. Beltran, though, was probably my favourite character of the lot. He's fun and has a sense of humour, but is also calculating and clearly intelligent. I think there's a lot more to come from him, and I can't wait to read it.

The World

So, this is the fun part! In Venators: Magic Unleashed, we've got somewhere called Eon, which is a separate plane from the world we know. The world was filled with every supernatural creature you could probably imagine, and perhaps some you can't. The author did well balancing the world-building so as not to bombard with too much information in one go. It also has similarities to your average fantasy world, elves have a sense of arrogance, vampires are elegant but violent etc. It's all very familiar, but also different. The introduction of the Venators was an added element that really pulled me into this, and I look forward to reading more about them. The political intrigue with the council of supernatural beings could definitely be explored more, and I hope it is in the next book. There's an element there that could really add something to the world if done right!

Review originally posted on Geeky Galaxy

The World

I think the world-building and the setting Kathryn Purdie has created is the best thing about this book. The whole idea of women ferrying the dead to their rightful place is great, but there's so much more depth to the lore. I think there's more to come and more to be revealed, I feel like we're only scratching the surface of the possibilities of this magic system that's been built so seemingly effortlessly

The lore is where Bone Crier's Moon really excelled. Kathryn Purdie was inspired by the French folklore of Dames Blanches. I really recommend you check out the myth of Dames Blanches because once you know that, you can see all the connections with Bone Crier's Moon and how cleverly Kathryn has weaved it into her world.

The Plot

I read this in pretty much one sitting, getting annoyed with anyone who disturbed my reading. Bone Crier's Moon started well, introducing the lord of the woman in white on the bridge, inspired by French folklore, and building from there. We're introduced to the key characters quickly, but in a way that doesn't feel rushed. The pacing is perfect. There are ups and downs. The ups are high tension that were fun to read and ensured I didn't want to tear my eyes away from the book. The lows were usually sweet and interesting, revealing more about the lore of the world or the personalities of the characters.

The ending! I can't say anything without spoilers, but February 2021 can't come quick enough!

The Characters

The characters all felt unique with their own personalities, motivations and character arcs. When I sat down to write this review, I could clearly identify each character's reason for being there and what each character went through and why. Nothing happened just because, everything and everyone was there for a reason. And I love that. No character seemed like a spare part. Bone Crier's Moon is told in multiple POVs, which I didn't know going into it. Usually, I'm not a fan of multiple POV books because I tend to prefer one character, and get bored of hearing from characters I don't like. This didn't happen here because I genuinely loved hearing from all the characters.

Our main character is Aliesse. She's a strong protagonist with a great and enjoyable arc throughout. You follow her as she learns the truth about herself and her family and you can see the changes in who she is throughout.

Aliesse's best friend is Sabine. She has arguably the most growth through the novel. From someone who lives in Aliesse's shadow to a strong woman on her own. If you love reading about someone finding their strength, you'll like Sabine!

The last person I'll mention is Bastien, and I'm going to mention him because of a single quote that was super cute to read and is one of the many reasons I loved him.

“You're not missing from me. I'm not missing from you.”

Bastien - Bone Crier's Moon, Kathryn Purdie